Volume 43, Issue 4 - Special issue: Dedicated to Erich Z. Saling / Founding Editor

Aim: To describe a new device for the transcervical collection of amniotic fluid (AF) in patients with ruptured membranes, and to compare the concentration of proteins in fluid retrieved by transabdominal amniocentesis and the transcervical AF collector. Study design: Paired AF samples were collected in patients with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) (n=11) by transabdominal amniocentesis and with the transcervical AF collector (Yoon’s AF Collector™). Three proteins known to have high concentrations in AF [α-fetoprotein (AFP), β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG), and prolactin] were measured. Results: (1) There was a significant correlation between the concentrations of analytes in AF obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis and by the transcervical AF collector (r=0.94, P<0.001 for AFP; r=0.96, P<0.001 for β-hCG; r=0.72, P<0.05 for prolactin); (2) Bland-Altman plots showed no evidence of heteroscedasticity between transabdominal or transcervical AF concentrations of these markers. Conclusions: There was a strong correlation between the concentrations of proteins in AF collected by amniocentesis or with the transcervical device.

Objective: To determine the admission to delivery interval and the rate of immediate delivery in twin versus singleton gestation complicated by spontaneous preterm labor (SPTL). Methods: A retrospective cohort study of pregnant women presenting with advanced cervical dilatation of 3–5 cm and frequent uterine contractions at 24–34 weeks of gestation was performed. The rate of progression to delivery within 12 h and 24 h, as well as rates of prolonged latency, were compared between twins and singletons gestations. Results: Sixty-nine women were included, of which 25 carried twins and 44 singletons. The overall rate of spontaneous delivery within 12 h and 24 h was 47.8% and 59.4%, respectively, and similar between twins and singletons. Nevertheless, prolonged latency of 10 days or more after presentation was more frequent among twins compared with singletons [10/25 (40%) vs. 7/44 (15.9%), respectively; P=0.026]. Moreover, women carrying twins presenting with advanced cervical dilatation had a better chance of completing a full 2-dose antenatal betamethasone course compared with singletons [19/25 (76%) of twins compared with 21/44 (47.7%) of singletons, odds ratio 3.5, 95% confidence interval 1.16–10.34; P=0.022]. Conclusion: Up to 60% of women presenting with advanced cervical dilatation prior to 34 weeks’ gestation give birth within 24 h. Nevertheless, women carrying twins have a better chance of completing a betamethasone course and having prolonged latency compared with singletons.

Objective: PartoSure is a bedside test for the prediction of time-to-spontaneous preterm delivery by the detection of placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1). The objectives of this study were to further determine the test’s efficacy in predicting delivery within 7 or 14 days from testing, and to compare it with fetal fibronectin (fFN) and cervical length (CL) measurement by transvaginal ultrasound. Study design: The study population consisted of 203 consecutively recruited women with singleton pregnancies between 20 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation with symptoms of preterm labor, clinically intact membranes, and cervical dilatation of ≤3 cm. PartoSure and CL were performed on all patients and the test-to-spontaneous-delivery interval was calculated. In a sub-segment of patients, the QuikCheck fFN test was used. Results: The sensitivities for PartoSure (n=203), fFN (n=66), and CL (n=203) for predicting imminent spontaneous preterm delivery within 7 days were 80%, 50%, and 57%, respectively. The specificities were 95%, 72%, and 73% for PartoSure, fFN and CL, respectively. The NPVs were 96%, 87%, and 89% for PartoSure, fFN and CL, respectively. The PPVs were 76%, 29%, and 30% for PartoSure, fFN and CL, respectively. Conclusion: PAMG-1 detection by PartoSure is the single best predictor of imminent spontaneous delivery within 7 days compared to fFN and CL. In settings where CL is used as an initial screen, PartoSure has the greatest clinical utility in patients with CL between 15 and 35 mm. In situations where CL is not an initial screen, PartoSure is the most accurate test compared to fFN and CL.

Objective: We conducted a prospective comparative cohort study to determinate the influence of coitus on quantitative fetal fibronectin test results under normal pregnancy conditions. We also compared values obtained in cervical and vaginal secretions. Methods: In a population of women with normal singleton pregnancies between 22 and 28 weeks gestation, we have performed (cervical and vaginal) quantitative fetal fibronectin tests in two separate groups classified according to timing after coitus (one group of women had intercourse within 24 h before sampling and the control group had intercourse >24 h before sampling). The main outcome measures were the proportion of positive tests in both groups and the correlation between cervical and vaginal values through the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Both groups were similar in terms of general characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. The proportions of positive results in the vaginal secretions were 7.5% and 25.0% (P=0.007) in the control and coitus group, respectively. In the cervical secretions, the proportions of positive tests were greater, but not statistically different (39.7% and 40.0%, respectively). The Pearson correlation coefficients were very low (<0.3) indicating poor correlation between both sampling locations. Even if the cervical values were generally greater than the vaginal values, they were lower in 26% of the women. Conclusions: Coitus definitely interferes with vaginal fetal fibronectin test results. In cervical secretions, the positive rate was so high that coitus had no influence, but cervical sampling in this location should be avoided.

Aim: To assess whether maternal serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and genital mycoplasmas measured can help predict imminent preterm delivery or chorioamnionitis in patients with preterm labor (PL) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). Methods: The study group consisted of 165 women with PL or PPROM. Vaginal cultures for genital mycoplasmas and maternal blood for CRP were obtained when they were admitted for the management of PL or PPROM. An elevated level of serum CRP was defined as ≥0.8 mg/dL. Histologic evaluation of the placenta was performed after delivery. Results: The prevalence of positive vaginal fluid cultures for Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) was 63.0%, and elevated maternal serum CRP was 32.7%. No outcome variables were associated with vaginal UU infection in patients with lower CRP levels. However, among women with elevated CRP, the mean gestational age at birth was significantly reduced, and low Apgar score, neonatal intensive care unit admission, histologic chorioamnionitis, and delivery within 7 days of admission were significantly more common in patients with vaginal UU. Conclusions: Although vaginal UU in PL or PPROM cannot act as the sole predictor of imminent preterm delivery or chorioamnionitis, it can provide predictive information in patients with elevated maternal serum CRP levels.

Vaginal bleeding may be present in up to 30% of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of a rupture of the fetal membranes (ROM). The presence of blood may lead to false positive results with biochemical markers. The data presented in this study came from a multi-centric prospective observational clinical study that, for the first time, systematically evaluated the performance of placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) detecting tests in 151 women with vaginal bleedings as well as signs and symptoms indicative of ROM. Our data showed better performance for the PAMG-1 compared with the IGFBP-1 detecting tests in all quality parameters evaluated. In detail, sensitivity (SN) was 97.8% (91.0%), specificity (SP) was 91.5% (75.0%), positive predictive value (PPV) was 94.6% (83.5%) and negative predictive value (NPV) was 96.4% (85.7%) for PAMG-1 tests (and IGFBP-1 tests, respectively). A major difference between both tests was related to the number of non-evaluable test results (e.g., hidden bands due to blood smear on the test strips). While 2% of all results were not evaluable for PAMG-1 tests, this artifact appeared in 11% of the results obtained with IGFBP-1 tests. This difference and also those in Specificity and PPV were statistically significant, demonstrating superiority of PAMG-1 over IGFBP-1 detecting tests. In conclusion, the PAMG-1 detecting test was significantly less susceptible to interference by blood than the IGFBP-1 detecting test.

Objective: Our objective is to compare the efficacy of combination regimen (salbutamol and nifedipine) against single regimen (nifedipine alone) in preventing preterm births among women with preterm labor. Results: A total of 76 women with gestational age (GA) ranging from 24+0 to 35+6 weeks, who sought treatment for preterm labor with or without cervical dilatation, were recruited for the prospective cohort study. Of these, 38 (50%) had single tocolytic regimen and 38 (50%) had combination tocolytic regimen. The mean GAs at admission were similar for both groups at 31 weeks (±2.93) for Group 1 and 30.9 weeks (±2.88) for Group 2 (P=0.873). The mean GAs at delivery were 37.8 weeks (±1.98) for the single regimen and 36.2 weeks (±3.26) for the combined regimen (P=0.011). The mean tocolytic to delivery interval for the single regimen was longer at 6.74 weeks (±3.13) as compared with 5.21 weeks (±3.61) for the combination regimen (P<0.05). Those on the combination regimen complained of more adverse effects (P<0.001). Conclusion: Our study results suggested that the use of nifedipine as a single tocolytic regimen is as effective as the combination regimen in the delay of preterm births and has much less side effects. Hence, we recommend the sole use of nifedipine for the management of preterm labor.

Aims: To describe specific recommendations of activity restriction, place of care, expected beneficial and adverse effects, and recommended antithrombotic prophylaxis in nine clinical scenarios. Methods: A national survey. All members of the Danish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Danish Association of Midwives were asked to complete a tested, structured questionnaire. Results: We sent 1815 invitations; the overall response rate was 54%. A majority of clinicians recommended some form of activity restriction in the nine scenarios. The midwives recommended strict or moderate activity restriction more often than obstetricians in five of the nine scenarios, in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes, preterm labour, cervical ripening, total placenta praevia, and intrauterine growth restriction, whereas no differences were found in the remaining scenarios. Compared to the obstetricians, the midwives also reported that they expected the recommendation to be more effective. Most midwives and obstetricians reported that they thought strict activity restriction was associated with severe or moderate adverse effect, and recommended antithrombotic prophylaxis. Conclusions: Danish obstetricians and midwives prescribe activity restriction in most high-risk pregnancies. The degree of activity restriction and the presumed effect vary between clinicians. This may reflect different attitudes and lack of guidelines based on clinical studies of a possible benefit of activity restriction.

There is a consistent view in the literature that research on pregnant woman with psychoses is ethically questionable or impermissible. This paper provides a critical appraisal of these views by asking whether pharmacologic research on pregnant women with psychosis for maternal, fetal, and newborn benefit is ethically permissible. We examine separately the documented clinical benefits and risks to the pregnant patient, the fetal patient, and the neonatal and pediatric patient. The outcomes reported in the pertinent literature do not support the conclusion that pharmacologic management of psychosis during pregnancy results in documented, unacceptable risk to the pregnant, fetal, or neonatal patient and is therefore ethically ruled out. Claims that research on the pharmacologic management of psychosis during pregnancy is ethically impermissible because of unacceptable risk of harm to pregnant, fetal, neonatal, or pediatric patients cannot therefore be supported. Having shown that such research is permissible, we then ask what ethical considerations should guide study design. We show that Phase I studies are appropriate and can meet the requirements of the Common Rule, which are more specific than international guidance. As a matter of professionally responsible obstetric practice, pregnant women with psychoses should be included, and not be neglected, in research for both maternal and fetal benefit.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes among women in a high-income developing country regarding pregnancy and antenatal care. Methods: Women who participated in the study were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire enquired about age, level of education, Internet use, marital status, and employment. It also included questions regarding their knowledge of ultrasound, the effects of sexual activity and other exercise during pregnancy, breast feeding, and premature delivery. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS. Results: The total number of women included in this study was 205. A total of 115 women (56.1%) thought that the most important benefit of ultrasound was to discover fetal abnormalities. Only 75 (36.6%) thought that regular exercise was not harmful during pregnancy. Of the total respondents 116 (56.6%) of 205 thought that sex during pregnancy was harmful to the fetus or did not know. Age (P=0.001), marital status (P=0.001) and working status (P=0.005) were found to significantly affect their knowledge. Conclusion: Knowledge about pregnancy among Emirati women is low. There is a need for effective prenatal classes that focus on educating women about issues related to pregnancy and antenatal care.

Aims: Maternal obesity is a risk factor for cesarean delivery (CD). The aim of this analysis was to determine the association between early-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the rate of CD over the past two decades. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from the perinatal quality registry of singleton deliveries in the state of Hesse in Germany from 1990 to 2012. We divided the patients into groups according to the WHO criteria for BMI: underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5–<25), overweight (25–<30), obese class I (30–<35), obese class II (35–<40), and obese class III (≥40). Results: The analysis included 1,092,311 patients with available data regarding maternal BMI and mode of delivery. The CD rates for underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5–<25), overweight (25–<30), obese class I (30–<35), obese class II (35–<40), and obese class III (≥40) women increased from 14.4%, 16.1%, 19.5%, 22.3%, 25%, and 26.9% in the year 1990 to 27.9%, 31.4%, 38.8%, 45.1%, 50.2%, and 55.2% in the year 2012, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusion: Maternal BMI in early pregnancy is linearly associated with the incidence of CD. We found a disproportionate increase of CD in morbidly obese women compared with the CD incidence in the reference BMI population over the past two decades.

Background: The Apgar score is used worldwide to assess the newborn infant shortly after birth. Apgar scores, including mean scores and those with high cut-off scores, have been used to support claims that planned home birth is as safe as hospital birth. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of 5 min Apgar scores among different birth settings and providers in the USA. Methods: We obtained data from the National Center for Health Statistics of the US Centers for Disease Control birth certificate data for 2007–2010 for all singleton, term births of infants weighing ≥2500 g (n=13,830,531). Patients were then grouped into six categories by birth setting and birth attendant: hospital-based physician, hospital-based midwife, freestanding birth center with either certified nurse midwife and/or other midwife, and home-based delivery with either certified nurse midwife or other midwife. The distribution of each Apgar score from 0 to 10 was assessed for each group. Results: Newborns delivered by other midwives or certified nurse midwives (CNMs) in a birthing center or at home had a significantly higher likelihood of a 5 min maximum Apgar score of 10 than those delivered in a hospital [52.63% in birthing centers, odds ratio (OR) 29.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 28.29–30.06, and 52.44% at home, OR 28.95, 95% CI: 28.40–29.50; CNMs: 16.43% in birthing centers, OR 5.16, 95% CI: 4.99–5.34, and 36.9% at home births, OR 15.29, 95% CI: 14.85–15.73]. Conclusions: Our study shows an inexplicable bias of high 5 min Apgar scores of 10 in home or birthing center deliveries. Midwives delivering at home or in birthing centers assigned a significantly higher proportion of Apgar scores of 10 when compared to midwives or physicians delivering in the hospital. Studies that have claimed the safety of out-of-hospital deliveries by using higher mean or high cut-off 5 min Apgar scores and reviews based on these studies should be treated with skepticism by obstetricians and midwives, by pregnant women, and by policy makers. The continued use of studies using higher mean or high cut-off 5 min Apgar scores, and a bias of high Apgar score, to advocate the safety of home births is inappropriate.

Objective: Postpartum hemorrhage is the most important reason for maternal mortality. In developed countries, the reason of 13% of maternal deaths is postpartum hemorrhage while this percentage reaches more than 30% in other countries. In this study, the effect of oxytocin use in different times at the 3 rd stage of delivery on changes in the postpartum hemoglobin levels was compared. Design and setting: In the study, 89 pregnant women to whom oxytocin was administered after placenta separation were studied in Group 1, 89 pregnant women were included in Group 2, and oxytocin was administered after delivery of the shoulder. The levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit before and after delivery were quantified. Results: The biochemical parameters were examined, there was no significant statistical differences in the levels of hemoglobin and hemotocrit before delivery between the two groups. When compared to Group 1, Δ-hemoglobin (P=>0.001), Δ-hematocrit (P=>0.001), the change between the prepartum and postpartum hemoglobin percentage (P<=0.001), and change between the prepartum and postpartum hemotocrit percentage (P<=0.001) were statistically lower in Group 2. Conclusions: It was determined that the use of oxytocin after shoulder delivery has more effects on decreasing the amount of postpartum hemorrhage.

Aims: To evaluate values of foetal T/QRS ratios in pregnancies complicated by threatened preterm labour treated with intravenous infusions of fenoterol using non-invasive methods with transabdominal electrodes. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 451 Caucasian women (63 preterm pregnancies and 327 healthy controls) whose pregnancies ranged from 28 to 37 gestational weeks. Foetal electrocardiograms were recorded and T/QRS ratios were calculated by KOMPOREL software (ITAM, Zabrze, Poland). The first recording was performed 30 min after the start of fenoterol infusion and the second 2 days after finishing tocolysis. T/QRS ratio variables were calculated. One-way analysis of variance was carried out. Results: Significantly higher mean values of the T/QRS ratio were observed in pregnancies during tocolytic treatment in comparison to controls and pregnancies after tocolysis (P=0.0158 and P=0.0071, respectively). The T/QRS ratio values fall again shortly after finishing intravenous tocolysis. Conclusions: The T/QRS ratio is one of the methods used for non-invasive foetal distress assessment that can be used in antepartum foetal monitoring in complicated pregnancies. Raised values of the T/QRS ratio in the foetus during tocolysis with fenoterol and next its fall to values observed in physiological pregnancies may indicate transient worsening of fetal well-being, however, additional research is required.

Aim: To identify cardiotocography (CTG) patterns associated with increased risk of intrapartum fetal acidemia. Methods: A prospective observational cohort study of 1070 women with fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS) during labor was conducted at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Women with a nonreassuring CTG pattern underwent FBS, and lactate concentration was measured at the bedside. Lactate concentrations >4.8 mmol/L were defined as fetal acidemia. A senior obstetrician, blinded to the lactate concentration at FBS, visually interpreted the CTG tracings that had prompted FBS. Results: There were 2134 FBSs performed on 1070 laboring women, constituting 11% of all deliveries at this labor ward. The CTG patterns with the highest frequency of lactacidemia at FBS were late or severe variable decelerations combined with tachycardia (20%–25% at first FBS and 33%–49% at last FBS). With a normal baseline fetal heart rate, normal variability, and absence of serious decelerations, the fetal scalp blood lactate concentration at the first FBS was normal in 97.5% of cases. The group with isolated reduced variability had no increased prevalence of acidemia and median lactate concentration did not differ from the normal group. Conclusion: Isolated reduced variability is in most cases not a sign of hypoxia. If development of hypoxia is ruled out with one FBS, this pattern does not require monitoring with repetitive FBSs throughout labor. Late decelerations and severe variable decelerations increase the risk for intrapartum fetal metabolic acidemia to the same extent. The combination of these decelerations and tachycardia was associated with the highest rate of fetal metabolic acidemia.

Objective: We retrospectively compared a protocol using sufentanil and ropivacaine intrathecally with a protocol in which only ropivacaine was administered intrathecally and sufentanil was used epidurally to evaluate whether banning sufentanil from the intrathecal space results in a decreased incidence of adverse fetal heart rate changes. Methods: Some 520 cardiotocographic tracings were examined for changes in fetal heart rate and uterine activity following two different protocols of combined spinal epidural analgesia. Charts were consulted for neonatal and labor outcome. Results: When sufentanil was used epidurally instead of intrathecally, the incidence of adverse changes in fetal heart trace was less, demonstrated by a higher percentage of normal reassuring tracings (74.5% vs. 60.4% when sufentanil was used intrathecally; P=0.007), less tracings showing bradycardia (7.5% vs. 14.1%; P=0.035), and more tracings displaying 3 or more accelerations in fetal heart rate in 45 min (93.5% vs. 83.9%; P=0.003) together with less episodes of tachycardia (3.5% vs. 11.4%; P=0.005). There were no differences in labor and neonatal outcome. Conclusions: Based on fetal heart tracing, it seems favorable to ban sufentanil from the intrathecal compartment.

Aim: To investigate the value of the birth weight of the previous pregnancy (BW 1 ) alone and combined with the third trimester ultrasonographically estimated fetal weight (EFW) and Doppler studies in the prediction of small (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) neonates in the index pregnancy (BW 2 ). Method: Some 1298 parous women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies who had a third trimester ultrasound scan were considered as samples in this retrospective cohort study. Maternal and pregnancy characteristics, BW 1 , EFW, umbilical artery, and middle cerebral artery pulsatility indices were investigated as predictors of SGA and LGA. Results: BW 1 , maternal weight, mode of conception, and smoking status were associated with BW 2 ( R 2 =0.39) with BW 1 being the strongest predictor ( R 2 =0.37). The addition of EFW conferred significant improvement ( R 2 =0.63), whereas the addition of the Doppler indices did not. The sensitivity of BW 1 alone in the prediction of SGA was 75% for 25% screen positive rate and increased to 92% with the addition of EFW. The equivalent figures for LGA were 68% and 93%, respectively. Conclusions : BW 1 used as a continuous variable is predictive of growth deviations in the index pregnancy. Incorporating EFW enhanced the sensitivity for the detection of both conditions.